Gambit Review

It’s such a waste: this was what we thought when we first saw Gambit. This early in our Gambit review, we can say that the site does not live up to its name.

It has an enviable domain name that is very much suitable for a bitcoin gambling site but the team behind it did not make the most out of it. Gambit is related to many things gambling. There’s that character called Gambit (who is identified with playing cards) in Marvel’s X-Men. And because of the “bit” part, it can also be easily associated with bitcoin gambling. Really, it’s one great name for an online bitcoin gambling destination. Why does it have to look like the way it currently does (homepage screenshot below)?

It’s such a waste: this was what we thought when we first saw Gambit. This early in our Gambit review, we can say that the site does not live up to its name. It has an enviable domain name that is very much suitable for a bitcoin gambling site but the team behind it did not make the most out of it. Gambit is related to many things gambling. There’s that character called Gambit (who is identified with playing cards) in Marvel’s X-Men. And because of the “bit” part, it can also be easily associated with bitcoin gambling. Really, it’s…

Gambit Review

Gambit Review

2016-03-18

Dan Dine

Great and original casino. Currently not accepting BTC, but probably will accept again soon.

Gambit Ratings:

Trust - 86%

Quality - 90%

Promotions - 53%

Games Diversity - 83%

Support - 80%

78%

Great Casino

Great and original casino. Currently not accepting BTC, but probably will accept again soon.

On its FAQ page, Gambit is referred to as a gaming platform that offers various strategy and classic card games, board games, and dice games. It makes use of chips as the virtual point system. The games are mostly multiplayer, wherein players contribute to the pot so the winnings tend to vary. There’s also a “buy in” system or a specific amount of chips required to be able to join a game.

Gambit notably features a leaderboard (with daily, weekly, and monthly rankings), a continuously updated list of new and in-progress contests, and a searchable player list. It also features an visually unappealing chat board to the right. Most of our initial less than positive impressions on Gambit pertain to the aesthetics. We couldn’t just easily dismiss its lack in the looks department. However, it’s still too early to say whether or not this is a good bitcoin gambling site. So read further into our Gambit review to know if this site is something you should consider as an option.

Sign Up Traditionally or Using Facebook, Play As Guest, or Convert Your Guest Account to a Regular Account

If you’re like us who didn’t have a very positive first impression of Gambit, you may want to try the site first by playing without signing up. There’s a an option to Play as Guest. This is a big blue button on the upper part of the homepage or to the right of the Sign Up page so it’s impossible not to notice it.

If you want to sign up for a regular account, you just have to enter your username, password, and email address. You will be automatically logged in to your account after clicking on the Create Free Account button. Email verification is required but you can do it later on. Just remember that verifying your email address grants you 500 chips. If you want to earn 5,000 more chips, proceed to validating your account by going to the Validation page. Validating your account, though, may mean that you will no longer be able to play anonymously. If you don’t want to validate your account, don’t click on the validation link. All it takes is just one click to have your account validated.

If you want to do a shorter account registration process, you have the option to simply log in using your Facebook account. You can do this right at the homepage by simply clicking on the Connect with Facebook button.

Simple But Powerful Account Dashboard

The simple interface of the Gambit user dashboard belies the extent of configurations and functions it offers. The dashboard provides an extensive range of options, from changing email address and password to adding and modifying an avatar, editing personal information, and modifying account notifications. You can opt to prevent disable email notifications and updates, enable the profanity filter, and disallow invites. There’s a full range of account activity monitoring functions. Through the dashboard, it’s easy to monitor your rank, winnings, rating, streat, and game history. Moreover, the Gambit account has its own messaging system (inbox) so in case you contact other players or asked for customer support, you don’t have to separately open your email account to read the replies to your messages.

These are a combination of table games, dice games, casual games, poker, and online casino favorites such as backgammon, blackjack, strategy games. There’s one or a couple of games representing the common game categories in typical online casinos.

The game pages come with their respective presentation of rules and strategy guides. Some games have Play for Fun versions. They load quickly but that should be expected since they don’t really feature impressive graphics. Game aesthetics and intuitiveness may be considered good enough.

Game Software

The software used by Gambit is something most likely developed in-house. There is no mention about it on the site but we are inclined to write in this review that it is proprietary also based on the fact that they have a “Report a Bug” button. This implies that they have their own team doing the troubleshooting.

Gambit’s games are web-based and don’t require Flash plugins, Java, and other software downloads. They work on most modern web browsers without the need to install anything. Gambit, however, recommends the use of Chrome (the best according to Gambit’s website) or Firefox (a close second). The latest versions of these web browsers are of course more preferable.

Gambit Is Not Mobile-Friendly

Unfortunately, Gambit is not compatible with mobile gaming. It does not have Android or iOS mobile apps. Its website does not have a responsive design. The page rendered does not even look similar to what appears on the desktop version. It looks like there was an attempt to make the site adjust to the display size of the device used to access it but it failed—miserably at that.

Currency Used, Deposits, Withdrawals, and Betting

Gambit currently makes use of G chips to play on all games. As of now, it does not appear to be using fiat or cryptocurrency. We are doing this Gambit review, though, because we presume that it will eventually go back to integrating fiat currency and bitcoins into its currency system. Gambit is an online casino commonly reviewed by bitcoin gambling review sites. We have also read a number of reviews and player testimonials that say that Gambit, at least at some point in its existence, accepted bitcoins or had bitcoins involved in its betting and winning system. We are positive that it will resume its bitcoin-related transactions later on.

Promotions and Affiliate Program

We couldn’t find information regarding the bonuses on Gambit’s website. However, it features free spins to earn chips. This free spins feature is right on the homepage. Just spin and collect whatever amount of G chips is flashed on the screen. This is in addition to the free spins offered during the registration process, as mentioned earlier.

Gambit has an affiliate program that allows players to earn up to 100,000 chips and 10% free spins through player referrals. If the referred player wins the daily pot, you get to have 10,000 free chips. If the referred player tops the weekly leaderboard, 50,000 chips await you. If the referred player dominates the monthly competition, you can get 100,000 free chips.

Your affiliate or referral link is indicated on the Affiliate page. There’s also a banner you can use for your blog, website, or forum signature.

Customer Support

The Support link on the homepage that we thought would link us to at least an online form for sending email inquiries or assistance requests is actually linked to a a different site. On this external page, you can find an online form (Submit a Request) for sending email inquiries, requests for assistance, and other concerns. It also features a section called Forums and a section for checking existing requests.

There is no live chat support although there is a live chat facility for players. In case you encounter bugs on the site, there’s a persistent orange Report a Bug button that lets you quickly tell Gambit’s admin about the bug. This bug reporting facility comes with the ability to take screenshots and draw arrows and highlight portions of the page to be used in making visual aids while reporting bugs. We tried it but unfortunately, this bug reporting tool itself is buggy. An error message was flashed after we tried using the highlighting and arrow-drawing functions of the tool.

Cash Prizes on Hold – The US Legality Issue

We tried doing some research within Gambit’s website regarding its policy on players in the United States. Our research took us to a blog post dated January 31, 2016 announcing that the cash prizes are on hold. This was, according to Gambit, because there is a need for a legal review. There’s a need to “iron out and clarify the legal climate in all 50 US states and other countries where Gambit is offered.” There hasn’t been an update to this blog post as of the time this Gambit review was being completed so we assume the cash prizes are still on hold. Players in the United States may continue playing but there are no cash prizes to claim at the moment.

Obviously, players in the United States are accepted on Gambit. There just seems to be an issue regarding the cash prizes. There are no restrictions for players

Licensing and Regulation

Gambit’s website implies that its gambling operations are governed by the laws of Costa Rica. Disputes and issues between the player and Gambit are to be resolved in the courts of Costa Rica. Considering that it had to yield to authorities in the United States by stopping cash prizes, it would also be reasonable enough to say in this Gambit review that this site tries to operate within the boundaries set by laws of the jurisdictions where the players reside.

Important Pages on Gambit Players Should Visit

For new players who have questions regarding the Gambit’s games and policies, be sure to drop by the FAQ section. Your questions may have already answered. Also, be sure to drop by the Terms of Service page to avoid violating the site’s policies and regulations. If you are looking updates, announcements, and other new information about Gambit, there’s a Blog section on the site.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Multiple ways for account registration. You can convert your Play as Guest account into a real account if you enjoy playing on Gambit.

Decent collection of games that are not typical

No browser plugins or other downloads required to play

There’s an option to be completely anonymous

Cons

Website design can still be significantly improved

No live chat or telephone support

The site has yet to integrate bitcoins into its currency system. It is still dealing with legality issues at the moment.